How to Make Drainage for the Side of a Driveway

Lay a bubble level across the width of the driveway to identify which side of the driveway is lower, since water will naturally flow to the lowest side.

Call 811 to ensure your digging won't interfere with underground pipes, wires and other services.

Measure about 10 inches from the edge of the driveway and mark this with garden stakes every few feet. Tie string between the stakes to outline the area to be dug.

Remove grass or anything else growing in the drain area with a shovel. Dig down 18 inches; dump the dirt in a wheelbarrow to move it elsewhere in the yard or on top of a tarp a few feet away from the trench. Begin at the side of the driveway nearest to the house and dig 1/8 inch deeper every foot of length to slope the canal toward the curb.

Line the bottom with a 6-inch layer of gravel. Use a rake or shovel to shape the top of the gravel into a slight dip so the deepest point runs down the center.

Lay 4-inch perforated PVC drainage pipes in the groove you formed in the gravel.

Cover the pipes with 6 more inches of gravel, and lay a strip of landscape fabric over the top as an extra barrier against debris.

Fill the rest of the canal in with some of the dug-out dirt. Plant water-tolerant ground cover along the drain strip to prevent erosion and help absorb water.